Water circulating tube attachment for horizontal boiler flue



y 1952 R. R. GRUBBS 2,604,080

WATER CIRCULATING TUBE ATTACHMENT FOR HORIZONTAL BOILER FLUE Filed Oct. 17, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

H TTOR/VE Y Patented July 22, 1952 WATER CIRCULATING TUBE ATTACHMENT FOR HORIZONTAL BOILER FLUE Ralph E. .Grubbs, Glendale, Calif. Application October 17, 1949, Serial No. 121,801

This invention relates to boilers and has particular reference to devices within such boilers designed to increase circulation of water through the boilers thereby to substantially increase the efficiency thereof.

In boilers of the Scotch marine type it is customary to extend a relatively large furnace or flue horizontally through the boiler. This arrangement has-the disadvantage that the water above this flue becomes quickly heated,'while the water belowthe flue remains comparatively cold. In order to improve this condition it is common practice to extend an external conduit from the bottom of the boiler to the part of the boiler above this flue and while such water circulating conduit may improve conditions somewhat'it is objected to because of the extra expense and also because it interferes with other mechanism outside of the boiler. V.

It is in view of the foregoing the object-of the present invention to place within the-flue extending through the boiler a plurality of vertically disposed water circulating tubes. It is a further object to provide improved means for placing and securing such tubes within the flue of the boiler. 1

With these and other objects in view the invention resides in the combinations hereinafter described in detail and reference is invited to the accompanying drawings-in which preferred, forms of the invention are illustrated. V

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of 'afbo'iler withinwhich the device-of the 'inventionis in-.- stalled and parts of which have been broken away for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 2 is end view on a'larger scale taken.sub-' stantially on line 2 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrow; f

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a somewhat modified form of the invention, and

Figs. 4 to 6' illustrate further modifications of the device. p v

Referring in the first instance to Fig. 1 the numeral I designates a boiler of the type above referred to, through which extends horizontally a relatively large flue 2, constituting the furnace or at least the element throughwhich the products of combustion are carried to heat the water therein.

As above stated, the water above this furnace or flue becomes heated very quickly, whereas the water below the flue remains relatively cold, for the reason that nothing is present to induce or 2 Claims. (01.122-145) 2 accelerate circulation from the bottom to the top of the boiler.

An eflicient and inexpensive way of producing better boiler circulation is to place a plurality of vertically disposed water conduits 4, 5, within the flue 2 to form direct passages from the lower to the upper portion of the boiler. It is readily seen that the combustion products passing through the flue will quickly heat these conduits and thereby cause the water torise rapidly from the lower to the upper portion of v the boiler.

In present day engineering Practice it is becoming more and more common to substitute modern methods of welding for the more antil5 quated and cumbersome methods of riveting or bolting parts together. 7 But because boilers are subject to inspection and approval by the authorities, the use of this more modern welding method still remains more or less restricted and it becomes necessary so to design, proportion and install such water circulating tubes that the installation thereof will meet with the approval of the authorities. It is a dominant feature of the present invention so to design, proportion and weld such water circulating tubes that they will 'pass inspection in various parts of the country.

Reference is now invited to Fig. 2 wherein the simplest form of my invention is illustrated.

The flue of the boiler is in this case designated by the numeral 2 and it is noticed that openings H and I2 are cut through the Wall of the flue in vertical alignment with each other.

V It is furthermore important to note that the upper opening I l is much smaller than the-bottom'opening l2.

This is done in order to make it possible to pass a circulating tube 4 upwardly into the flue through the opening l2. To the upper end of this tube is afllxed a flange Hi, the upper surface of which is curved to register with the inner surface of the flue wall to the end that, when the tube is completely inserted, this flange will come to rest against the inner wall of the 'flue. A similar flange I5 is secured to the lower within the flue. are welded in position, as indicated at ll, l8.

,llllifQlm y. ev r :tl h efkt e hol er.-

as found necessary and a second tube 16 is for this reason shown similarly mounted in position The rims of the flanges l4, l

In some sections of the country the authorities are more liberal, permitting the placing of larger openings in the flues of boilers for, installation and welding in position of morecomplex circulating tube assemblies. Sucha-ssembly'is, in Fig. 3, shown to include a pluralityof tubes, the upper ends of which are secured to a common flange 2 I', while the lower ends thereof are similarly se-.

cured to a flange 22. In this case, as in theabove described installation, the opening-Hat the bottom of the flue must be large enough to pass therethrough the flange 2!, the upper surface of whichis shaped to come torest against theinner surface of the flue whentheassembly is completely installed substantially as indicated in dotted outline at 24. The lower flange 22 must,

of course, be shaped'to come to rest against the outer surface of the flue when theassembly is completely seated, whereupon; the outer edges of t tw ang s ar W ldedinpesi i Q he flu In t e mo fi tion of Fi 4 ve ti a al n n ples 3 1 a We npo t on-w thi o ensstzai i f hee' ue vea h;n p l a be fi e w th a fla e en ag n thewal of t e :fiu h same anne that th tub se F f a ed. nd may be; imila ly weld d-i position- A p ece et e: 4 o thepro e lcngthisthe pushed hetweehg heitw pp1es1e nd welded in position therebeitween. this cas e, three ,sets

of nipples andthreeleng-ths ofwpipes ,arehem-V play b t i s tohe und rstoodthat th qu t may be yariedto suit individll flzinstallations, In order to facilitate the weldingoperation, it is pr d to e el th ends f'the nipp es and t e o fe mther betw en ircular grooves ,35

lthe depth of whichis nearlyrequal ,tothe thick sho n t 3 th pr vid a uide. and :a seat for the welding material 31. l

.flh m ifi at o .5, differentiates from th o oin merely th man er in which th n pples 0 are pl e cl- By p a me h x Q ea diametrically opposed pair of nipples in continued i men as indi a ediitis found no pnly "that V all the nipples may bealike but also that-171163111 wardfiewih pi irehtnf waterwiu-be spread more h spa ev with n the upp r'p si- It is e from h eji re h hg .cl s rip ioh that I ha e du ed avery s mple, inexpensive and effieient mea s o ins alli W er c rculating tubes Within b ler ur ae or flue. it isalso important o o e hat'these tubes may.;.be he ,dividu'ally mounted within the flue or imayybe o n o m ass mb s o wo or .more tubes, as above described. Furthermore that,

be found most advantageous in each particular installation. 7 I e T e. r a or}: e ihg fl ges on e the tubesis that in many localitiesit is required to provide reiniorcerneht 'o fjthe wall of I the flue T whether individual tubes or tube assemblies are -.tion thereon.

at the points Where they are to be welded in position. But where it is not convenient to mount such flanges on the tubes, it may be preferred to flare the end thereof, substantially as indicated at 42, in Fig. 6, this flared portion of the nipple 4| being substantially equivalent to the flanged portions above referred to. It is to be understood that this modified shape is applicable to the tubes 5 of Fig.2also." t V ,7

-'Iclaim:'- Water circulating means for the furnace flue ,of a boiler, said flue having axially aligned perforations through the upper and lower portions 7 of the wall thereof on a vertical diameter of the and tightlysecured positions thereon.

2. Water circulating means'for the furnace flue of a boiler, said flue having axiallyaligned perforations through the upperand lower portionsof the wall thereof on a vertical diameter .oftheflue ands-identical axially aligned perforations :on diameterssymmetrically inclined'rightand left relative to, said vertically aligned perforations, said means comprising identical :nipples noaxially se t d i a d perforations and inwardly projecting therefrom,a tube spanning. the .dis-

t nee between sai vertically ali d nippl and tubes i pa lel relation t said-tube and. spa hi lsthe distan e between :the upper and lower nipples on each side thereof, the ends of all of the tubes being shaped fittingly to contact the ends o-f the nipples and tightly securedin Dosi- ,{RALrniRoan-BBS.

REFnR nons errnn V The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Name Date ',194,164 7 Mills .Aug. 14, 1877 305,593 Hopkinson Sept. 23, 1884 406,359 Lindrum IJu1y 2,1889 7 623,170 .Morgan Apr. 18,1899 918,926 Tanner Apr. 20, 1909 1,313,542 .Jones Aug.19, 1919 1,361,212 Worley et a1 D.ec."7,'1920 1,68 ,976 Tait Sept. 18, 1928 1,862,796 Martin' -June 14, 1932 "1,966,403 Durham July 10, 1934 2,109,915 Watts Mar. 1, .1938 2,143,874 Hagenson' et al J an.1.7, 1939 2,279,808 Young Apr. 14, 1942 2,312;622 -"Brantl-y' Mar. 2, 1943 2,330,074 Morris et al sept. 21, 1943 2,344,424 Singleton 1 Mar. :14, 1944 g FOREIGN PATENTS N r Country Da ;Great Britain, Feb, 21,1884 

